Xela Posted August 19 Share Posted August 19 8 hours ago, Seat68 said: When I worked in West Brom it was a box of samosas. It was way more popular than cakes. We have a lot of Asian people working at our place and it was always samosas and spring rolls for birthdays. Far better! Not allowed anymore since we moved buildings. We bet one lad that he couldn't eat 10 samosas in one sitting. He did it. He was grey for a good few hours afterwards. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
limpid Posted August 19 Administrator Share Posted August 19 2 hours ago, Rds1983 said: But why is there an expectation that I'll go out and get treats for other people? Go for the middle option. Tell them the crap you've brought from Greggs is a treat. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidcow Posted August 19 VT Supporter Share Posted August 19 (edited) 2 hours ago, Stevo985 said: I also think this country, more than a lot of others, gravitate towards chains and names that they recognise. I bet if you put a Greggs and an independent bakery on the same street with the same prices, Greggs would take a hell of a lot more than the independent bakery. Same with costa/starbucks etc compared to an independent coffee shop. When you add in the fact that the independent places will almost always be more expensive (because they have to be) then they've got no chance I was having this chat on Saturday about chain pubs. Why the **** would you want to walk into a pub which could be anywhere in the country. Just a pure identikit. There is something joyous about an independent, unique pub. What's it going to be like? What beers do they sell? What's the menu like? Nah, I want a sizzling pub with Pedigree and Doom Bar with a sizzling steak please. Odd. Edited August 19 by sidcow 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidcow Posted August 19 VT Supporter Share Posted August 19 2 hours ago, chrisp65 said: Yep, no distance apart here we have a Costa with its crap milky coffee and we have an indie coffee shop that has better coffee and homemade cakes and the indie shop works with the homeless getting them their first job, a bit of a CV to use to move onwards and upwards. It isn’t a hobo caff, it’s a good coffee shop. it’s always costa that is full. But then, there are multiple indie record shops in town selling new records for £15, and then there’s HMV where everything is £38. People go to HMV. Cardiff Market has become a street food venue, you can spend to any budget, you can grab a 50p cake, a £1 pastie, burger n chips, posh burger n chips, £5 for chicken curry n noodles, or something more adventurous from all around the world. Meanwhile, there is a queue out the door at Mac Donald’s. People are odd. One of my colleagues was at a food festival in Coventry at the weekend. Masses of different food vans. He saw a Deliveroo driver approach a table and deliver a McDonald's to a bunch of lads. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nor-Cal Villan Posted August 19 Share Posted August 19 5 minutes ago, sidcow said: One of my colleagues was at a food festival in Coventry at the weekend. Masses of different food vans. He saw a Deliveroo driver approach a table and deliver a McDonald's to a bunch of lads. That’s why we can’t have nice things 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chindie Posted August 19 VT Supporter Share Posted August 19 In a former job the birthday samosas got so big people started taking orders ahead of buying them, and the people with the right connections to the best samosas used to have other people subcontract out their birthday samosa orders to them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seat68 Posted August 19 Share Posted August 19 11 minutes ago, Chindie said: In a former job the birthday samosas got so big people started taking orders ahead of buying them, and the people with the right connections to the best samosas used to have other people subcontract out their birthday samosa orders to them. An asian colleague of mine used to order them as he felt he got the best price. This was quickly disproved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVFC_Hitz Posted August 19 Share Posted August 19 4 hours ago, Rds1983 said: It's more why do I need to buy stuff for people I work with just because it's my birthday. If I want to share the day with them, then fair enough. But why is there an expectation that I'll go out and get treats for other people? Bulgarian custom is to foot the bill on your birthday. If you invite friends and family to a bar then you're expected to pay the lot. Kids on their 18th birthday are known to take out bank loans. 'Kin mental. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rds1983 Posted August 19 VT Supporter Share Posted August 19 3 minutes ago, AVFC_Hitz said: Bulgarian custom is to foot the bill on your birthday. If you invite friends and family to a bar then you're expected to pay the lot. Kids on their 18th birthday are known to take out bank loans. 'Kin mental. Good thing I've got no friends then. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted August 19 VT Supporter Share Posted August 19 33 minutes ago, Chindie said: In a former job the birthday samosas got so big people started taking orders ahead of buying them, and the people with the right connections to the best samosas used to have other people subcontract out their birthday samosa orders to them. This happens in our office. Someone has a samosa connection and they get all of our orders. Pre covid it had got to the stage where the guy with the connection basically organised things so that we had samosas every week. If two birthdays fell in one week he’d delay one to the week after Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fun Factory Posted August 19 Share Posted August 19 2 hours ago, villa89 said: I've travelled around a small bit in the UK and it always feels like every town, village and city is the same. Boots, Greggs, Ladbrokes and a weather spoons. Everything is the same and there's no character or uniqueness left. Town centres are lucky to have all three still open nowadays. I don't understand Boots business model, all the toiletries and medicines you can get cheaper elsewhere, is it really only the meal deal that is keeping them going? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
one_ian_taylor Posted August 19 VT Supporter Share Posted August 19 2 hours ago, Xela said: We have a lot of Asian people working at our place and it was always samosas and spring rolls for birthdays. Far better! Not allowed anymore since we moved buildings. We bet one lad that he couldn't eat 10 samosas in one sitting. He did it. He was grey for a good few hours afterwards. Bit soft was he? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chindie Posted August 19 VT Supporter Share Posted August 19 5 minutes ago, Stevo985 said: This happens in our office. Someone has a samosa connection and they get all of our orders. Pre covid it had got to the stage where the guy with the connection basically organised things so that we had samosas every week. If two birthdays fell in one week he’d delay one to the week after We started out with a couple of the Asian girls in the office bringing in a box of samosas for birthdays or big family events. That went down so well that all of the people with an Asian background brought samosas for birthdays, weddings, engagements, pregnancies, their sister being pregnant, it being a bank holiday, it being summer... That then meant everyone knew who had the inside line on the best samosas, and they were so popular people started putting in orders - an email would go round saying 'it's so and so birthday this Friday, put your orders in for samosas and hot sauce'. And then it just became the thing that you went to the person with the right connections to get them for your birthday, presumably taking a small cut for the effort. In a way I guess it was cool and the samosas were good, but I always think I couldn't bear being the person everyone went to, I couldn't be arsed with it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted August 19 VT Supporter Share Posted August 19 16 minutes ago, Chindie said: We started out with a couple of the Asian girls in the office bringing in a box of samosas for birthdays or big family events. That went down so well that all of the people with an Asian background brought samosas for birthdays, weddings, engagements, pregnancies, their sister being pregnant, it being a bank holiday, it being summer... That then meant everyone knew who had the inside line on the best samosas, and they were so popular people started putting in orders - an email would go round saying 'it's so and so birthday this Friday, put your orders in for samosas and hot sauce'. And then it just became the thing that you went to the person with the right connections to get them for your birthday, presumably taking a small cut for the effort. In a way I guess it was cool and the samosas were good, but I always think I couldn't bear being the person everyone went to, I couldn't be arsed with it. In our case the guy who everyone was going to **** loved it. He was basically the ringmaster. He was probably getting a cut to be fair Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nor-Cal Villan Posted August 19 Share Posted August 19 (edited) Seeing Alexandra Palace called Ally Pally (and other such nicknaming) Edited August 20 by Nor-Cal Villan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Dog Posted August 19 Share Posted August 19 4 hours ago, sidcow said: I was having this chat on Saturday about chain pubs. Why the **** would you want to walk into a pub which could be anywhere in the country. Just a pure identikit. There is something joyous about an independent, unique pub. What's it going to be like? What beers do they sell? What's the menu like? Nah, I want a sizzling pub with Pedigree and Doom Bar with a sizzling steak please. Odd. Ok - I totally get the point being made here, and understand why too, and don't really disagree with it BUT in my neck of town, and being a lager drinker surrounded by a lot of CAMRA type pubs, little artisan bars selling cherry stout and all that - The safest, and tbf, cheapest place for me to get a GOOD lager is a chain pub. I understand the sentiment but I'd rather have a well kept lager in a Brewers Fayre than some flowery shite in an odd brewery type place that costs more money and tastes like piss and petals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rds1983 Posted August 20 VT Supporter Share Posted August 20 (edited) 7 hours ago, T-Dog said: Ok - I totally get the point being made here, and understand why too, and don't really disagree with it BUT in my neck of town, and being a lager drinker surrounded by a lot of CAMRA type pubs, little artisan bars selling cherry stout and all that - The safest, and tbf, cheapest place for me to get a GOOD lager is a chain pub. I understand the sentiment but I'd rather have a well kept lager in a Brewers Fayre than some flowery shite in an odd brewery type place that costs more money and tastes like piss and petals. Chain pubs often don't sell good lager, they sell crap like Carling. Edited August 20 by Rds1983 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharkyvilla Posted August 20 Share Posted August 20 The one time I need to get a train in Germany to the airport it's **** delayed. Inefficient bastards. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Dog Posted August 20 Share Posted August 20 2 hours ago, Rds1983 said: Chain pubs often don't sell good lager, they sell crap like Carling. As much as I'd sooner drink my own piss rather than Carling, Carling is a better option than 90% of the flowery, arid, soul destroying independent lagers you find in these little brew house and bottle yard types. Granted, it's like asking for a kick in the head or a kick in the dick picking between the two, but Carling wins for me (and believe me, I'm not happy saying that). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genie Posted August 20 Share Posted August 20 People love to slag Carling off and then feel cool by paying £1 a pint more for Moretti or Peroni when it tastes practically the same. One of those things that piss me off, but shouldn’t. Maybe we could have a thread for such instances. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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